South Sudan

“The UN is the one that is protecting all the people.” –Community Elder, Malakal, South Sudan

A little more than two years after gaining its independence, South Sudan descended into a devastating armed conflict in December 2013. Five years into the conflict, civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence, as armed groups deliberately target them through killings, sexual violence, the destruction of property, and the looting of cattle. Violence has fueled famine and food insecurity in the country and caused large-scale displacement of civilians inside and outside the country. In the midst of an increasingly factionalized conflict, the UN peacekeeping operation deployed there, known by the acronym UNMISS, is one of the only actors providing protection to civilians regardless of a community’s or individual’s political or ethnic affiliation.

UNMISS provides security to over 200,000 civilians sheltered in protection sites on UN bases and, within its limited resources, continues to assess how it can provide responsive protection to civilians outside of those bases, enable the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and support local and political solutions to conflict.